In The Mix

A cool girl hot on the party scene and a DJ Instagrammer who loves staying in, Ashley Lau goes on record to blur lines and bend expectations.

- Syahirah Khairuddin

For some, music may just be something that just fills in the gaps, in the car or on commutes. But for others, it has the power to transport and transcend time and place. Fashion influencer-cum-DJ Ashley Lau sees music as a spacecraft designed for her listeners to escape reality — even for just brief moments. Known for her in-your-face style and playful takes on athleisure, Ashley’s passion for fashion has extended to the realm of music mixing. Despite being in the same industry as her sister, Jane Chuck (also a social media influencer and a DJ), Ashley has her own eccentric style and approach to life, fashion and music that sets them both apart.

While her Instagram persona is edgy and the cool-girl image may seem intimidating, Ashley is the opposite in person. On set with #TeamCLEO, it was clear that beneath Ashley’s calm and composed exterior is a warm, friendly and funny girl who’s also #extra all the time (in her words!). In this exclusive Cover Story, Ashley rocked the set in the latest Coach x Selena Gomez threads and spoke about how she loves staying in (yet knows how to get the party started!), and how alt-rock and sad-girl music also has an influence on her. Ashley is the embodiment of contrasts — and she knows how to own it.

When did you start getting into mixing music and who was your inspiration prior to you joining the DJ scene?

I think it has been almost a year since I got into mixing. I ’ve been to a lot of music festivals and I got inspired by all the DJs around the world. I ’ve been to Tomorrowland in Belgium and it was crazy! That experience made me feel like trying it and I ’ve always liked music anyway so I figured why not share all the good music with others. That ’s really how I got into DJing.

What were some of your earliest memory of music?